The Forsaken (episode)
An alien computer program wreaks havoc with the station's systems. Summary :Station Log: Stardate 46925.1. We have been honored with a visit by a delegation of Federation ambassadors on a fact-finding mission to the wormhole. Fortunately, I have just the officer to take them off my hands. Dr. Bashir sits in Quark's with a trio of ambassadors, who pester him in every way imaginable; he cannot please them no matter how hard he tries. Their conversation is interrupted as the fourth ambassador, Lwaxana Troi, cries out from the dabo table. Her latinum hair brooch has been stolen, and while Quark claims his establishment is not responsible for lost or stolen items, Odo catches a Dopterian who has it. As Odo leaves, it becomes apparent that he has caught the Betazoid's eye. In Ops, Chief O'Brien struggles to force the Cardassian computer system to work, as it has a tendency to argue with his suggestions and even on occasions overrules his requests. The problem is so bad he explains to Commander Sisko that he seriously considering completely overhauling and replacing the computer, a procedure that would take around two years to complete. As Bashir and the other three ambassadors arrive in the turbolift, a mysterious probe comes through the wormhole. The ambassadors seem intent on observing what may be First Contact with a new species, but Commander Sisko assures them there will be a briefing later. Meanwhile, Lwaxana finds Odo in the security office and flirts heavily with him. She is fascinated by the idea of "being" with a shapeshifter. However, the constable is visibly disquieted by her advances and pretends to have business to which to attend, leaving in a hurry. Odo finds Sisko and complains to the commander about Lwaxana's advances, but Sisko is unable to help him. As they talk, O'Brien and Dax interface with the probe, and the chief finds that the station's computer is cooperating surprisingly well. However, the probe's computer system is unlike anything they've ever seen before. Lwaxana manages to catch up with Odo despite his attempts to avoid her, and she follows him into a turbolift headed for one of the upper pylons. Before they reach their destination, the turbolift stops abruptly as the station's systems begin acting up. Dax attempts to beam them out with the transporter, but something causes it to malfunction. Odo is forced to put up with Lwaxana while the chief attempts to remedy whatever is going wrong and the doctor attempts to survive his time with the ambassador. Although he is hesitant to say anything to Sisko, O'Brien claims the computer seems nicer somehow, ever since he downloaded the information from the probe. Additionally, every time something goes wrong, a new problem comes up -- as if the computer wants to keep him busy. :Station log, supplemental. Odo and Ambassador Troi remain trapped in turbolift four. As of yet, we have been unable to ascertain what is causing the station's computer to malfunction. Sisko meets with Dax and Kira in Ops and they attempt to come up with an explanation for what is happening. Dax hypothesizes that the information in the probe might be a type of sentient non-biological lifeform. When O'Brien attempts to re-download the information into the probe, the lights go dim and the station shuts down. Sisko and Kira realize that it is almost time for Odo to regenerate, meaning he will revert to his liquid state unless they can get him out of the turbolift. In the turbolift, Lwaxana begins to be more company than Odo initially thought. Meanwhile, O'Brien has come up with a plan to distract the lifeform that has taken over the station; as he slowly tries to cut it off from the station's systems, Sisko and the others give the computer increasingly complex commands. The plan seems to be working, but something goes wrong and the system overloads. A fire erupts in one of the corridors, where Bashir is escorting the ambassadors to their quarters. Breaking through the doors sealing Bashir and the ambassadors in the corridor will take longer than expected, but O'Brien comes up with a plan. Thinking of the lifeform as a puppy, he realizes it thrives on attention and begins to "build a doghouse," although Dax has no idea what he is talking about. As Odo begins to lose his ability to hold his shape, Lwaxana can see that his is in pain, yet he turns his back toward her and refuses to show his weakness. Knowing no one has ever seen Odo this way, Lwaxana hands him her wig, as no one has seen her without hair before either. Kira and the others continue to try to get into the corridor while O'Brien prepares to set his plan into action. He sets up a special program through which all station commands can be performed, transferring the "puppy" into the doghouse. Satisfied to be at the center of the action, the lifeform returns the station to normal. When the ambassadors emerge from a conduit, their opinions of Bashir have changed considerably and they are quite humbled. Their ordeal over, Odo and Lwaxana say their goodbyes. Odo has grown quite fond of Lwaxana, who is now much calmer and more comfortable around him. She promises him they will meet again. Memorable Quotes "Is Odo your first or last name?" "Yes." : - Lwaxana and Odo "All the men I've known have needed to be shaped and moulded and manipulated, and finally I've met a man who knows how to do it himself." : - Lwaxana "Procreation does not require changing how you smell, or writing bad poetry, or sacrificing various plants to serve as tokens of affection." : - Odo, baffled by humanoid mating rituals "Constable, you can handle thieves and killers, but not one Betazoid woman?" "I understand thieves and killers. I don't understand... ''her!" : - '''Sisko' and Odo "I've always wanted to see an upper pylon." : - Lwaxana, pursuing Odo "I don't eat! This is not a real mouth. It is an approximation of one. I do not have an esophagus, or a stomach, or a digestive system. I am not like you. Every sixteen hours, I turn into a liquid!" "I can swim." : - Odo and Lwaxana "Great. Everything's in working order, except nothing's working." : - Kira "Nothing makes them happy! They are dedicated to being ''un''happy and to spreading that ''un''happiness wherever they go! They are the ''ambassadors of unhappy!" : - '''Bashir', on the Federation delegation "I guess you could say I was the life of the party." "I don't think I understand." "My way of trying to fit in. I found I could be entertaining. 'Odo, be a chair.' I'm a chair. 'Odo, be a razorcat.' I'm a razorcat. Life of the party... I hate parties." : - Odo and Lwaxana "No one's ever seen ''me like this." "''Why? It looks fine." "It looks ordinary. I've never cared to be ordinary. So you see, Odo, even we non-shapeshifters have to change who we are once in a while." "You are not at all what I expected." "No one's ever paid me a greater compliment." : - Lwaxana and Odo, when she hands him her wig as he begins to melt "I know that wasn't exactly what you had in mind for your picnic." "When it comes to picnics, the only thing that really matters is the company." : - Odo and Lwaxana Background Information *The working title of this episode was "Only the Lonely". *This episode has similarities to the TNG episode "Contagion", where the ''Enterprise''-D is infiltrated with an alien computer virus from a probe. *The probe is a re-use of the Cytherian probe from TNG: "The Nth Degree". *Majel Barrett Roddenberry makes her first of three appearances on DS9 as Lwaxana Troi. Her next appearance as Troi is in TNG's "Dark Page" and again appears on DS9 in "Fascination" and "The Muse". *The events to which Lwaxana refers, involving the Ferengi DaiMon who held her captive, took place in TNG's "Ménage à Troi". *We learn here that Odo's hairstyle was modeled after that of Dr. Mora Pol, although Mora is not mentioned by name. *Jack Shearer (Vadosia) makes his first Star Trek appearance here. Links and References Guest Stars *Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi *Constance Towers as Ambassador Taxco *Michael Ensign as Ambassador Lojal *Jack Shearer as Ambassador Vadosia *Benita Andre as Anara References Andevian II; Arbazans; Betazoids; bipolar torch; Bolians, Corado I transmitter array; Corundium; Dax, Curzon; Dopterians; Ferengi; Ferengi cargo ship; ''Galaxy''-class; Gargoyle; Liaison officer; memory node; Nehru colony; New France colony; petty theft; "Pup"; razorcat; toranium; Wanoni tracehound; Vulcans External links * Forsaken, The de:Persönlichkeiten es:The Forsaken nl:The Forsaken